The former head of Washington D.C.'s Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, who was removed following a scathing report about the hospital's lack of sterile surgical equipment, has been given a high-ranking post at the VA's D.C. headquarters, according to NBC4.

In one terrifying incident, a patient was prepared for vascular surgery and already put under anesthesia when the surgeon discovered he lacked the necessary equipment for the operation! The inspector general report also found discolored surgical instruments unsuitable for use and reported that medical staff had to borrow supplies, including bloodlines and surgical pieces, from nearby centers.

The inspector general report listed 18 different sterile storage containers that were contaminated by dirty conditions. Investigators found expired medical equipment on site, and some of this expired equipment was even used in a June 2016 patient procedure.

In April, when the report came out, the VA announced it would take disciplinary action if appropriate. "VA's top priority is to ensure that no patient has been harmed. If appropriate, additional disciplinary actions will be taken in accordance with the law," the VA said in a statement. Here is a photo of Hawkins' resignation speech.

"It is nearly impossible to remove bad VA employees who engage in negligence or misconduct, even to the extent that Mr. Hawkins did," declared Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Policy Director Dan Caldwell in a statement. "A government employee who puts veterans in imminent danger obviously should not remain on the VA payroll, but Secretary Shulkin's hands are tied."

"Next Week, Congress will have the opportunity to act on a bill — the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 — that would finally give the VA Secretary the authority he needs to hold bad employees accountable," Caldwell declared. "We urge Congress to move quickly to pass this bill, as veteran lives clearly hang in the balance."